


Stuck in the Storm.  1-2/2.

by punky_96



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-01 16:29:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15147182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punky_96/pseuds/punky_96
Summary: Re-post from LJ.  Both parts in one as it was intended.Prompt: For the Typhoon Haiyan fic auction, pure_ecstasy6 wanted Miranda and Andy stay back to take care of a few things at a photo shoot on location, but there's a snow storm, they get stuck in a cabin for a night or two, and confessions of their feelings, and smutty times begin :pSummary: Miranda and Andrea stay too long at a remote photo shoot location and have to shelter the storm together.





	Stuck in the Storm.  1-2/2.

**Author's Note:**

> Beta: jah728
> 
> A/N: So, I’m going with the general North Rim area of the Grand Canyon and the Kaibab Plateau, and not on the edge of the canyon, just in that territory somewhere on some seldom used dirt road or something like that. They do get pretty fierce summer storms and the elevation is around about 8000 ft.
> 
> A/N 1: Thanks to Jah once more. Otherwise you’d have things where it, “sounds like she is using her eyes to push herself up.” I laughed so hard when I read that comment, Jah!!! You rock, girl!!!
> 
> A/N 2: Photo shoot remote location near a rustic shelter. Everyone else drives away as a storm begins to roll in. For whatever unnamed reason Miranda and Andrea stay. When they try to drive out in the storm, they get to a spot in the road that has been washed out and have to turn back. You know, standard plot stuff to strand them out there alone :)

**_Stuck in The Storm. Part 1-2/2._**  
  
Looking back down the road, the brunette shook her head. Wasn’t madness doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result? So how far from madness was she to have seen the road washed out when they tried to drive out long after the others had left, only to return on foot to see it again as soon as the rain had let up? Surely that was madness? Sighing the brunette continued back up the road to the ‘most beautiful spot on the mesa’ where the photo shoot had concluded. Lady Luck wasn’t quite on their side, but Andrea knew she wasn’t their enemy either—they were stranded after lingering too long in the scenery; however, they had been gifted the shelter of a rustic shelter. Stepping carefully, Andrea knew that she did not want to tempt fate by falling or otherwise making the situation worse. Rounding the bend to the car, the shelter, the beautiful view that she had a hard time appreciating now, and her mercurial boss and current heart throb, Andrea sighed.  
  
_‘Unbelievable.’_  The young woman thought to herself, not daring to let her thoughts out into the air for fear of having to face the failure that much quicker.  _‘It’s summer for crying out loud._ ’ She thought as she bent down, picked up a rock, and heaved it over the side of the cliff. ‘ _This is the Grand Canyon.’_  She sighed and came to a stop next to a Douglas Fir waterlogged from the recent downpour with its needles glistening with water droplets in the mercurial sun. Thankful for those forced camping trips of her youth, Andrea plucked the fresh green end off of the nearest branch and put it in her mouth. It wasn’t much but she didn’t have a stick of gum to take out her frustrations on. Besides if she remembered her hiking guide talking about it, then it must have been good in some way, right?  
  
_‘It probably has vitamin C.’_  She considered as she chewed and swallowed. Idly she considered going back with armfuls of the stuff and telling Miranda this was the only food she could find and that it would take a week to get the road cleared. The look on her face would be more than priceless, especially if her phone battery hadn’t died and she could have gotten a picture of it. It might make the truth a little easier to deal with if she started with that grim picture. Not wanting to return a failure, Andrea eyed the tree and plucked off another morsel from its bounty.  
  
Plucking two more, Andrea sighed.  _‘What the hell.’_  She inwardly gave up on hiding out in the open. She had to face Miranda some time.  
  
Stepping up onto the creaking wooden porch and pulling open the door to the shelter, Andrea looked at the woman who usually traveled on the metaphorical storm keeping herself in the eye of it. Andrea supposed that was how she did it—she sent the rumblings and the lightning ahead of her to stir everyone up like a bunch of bees and then she rode in as it settled like the fresh warmth of the sun on your face after the sudden violence of the downpour—beautiful in her radiance. Andrea flexed her hand into a fist hoping that she could keep herself under control and not spout poetry to the resplendent beauty of the queen of fashion.  
  
For her part, the older woman was looking out on the slowly drying landscape from the open rectangle of the window and contemplating the raw power and allure of nature asserting itself as it had little more than an hour ago.  
  
“Road’s washed out.” Andrea figured keeping her words minimal that perhaps she could refrain from iambic pentameter or bursting out in song. When Miranda only hummed, Andrea paused to really look at her. Her heart flip-flopped in that way it had been doing for about six months now. If it got any worse, she’d have to go to the doctor for sure—only she knew the underlying cause was not exactly physical. “It’ll be a couple of days till they can get out here.” Stepping closer Andrea looked out the window feeling the electricity still in the air around them. The sun had come out, but the world still stung from nature’s lashing. “That’s if the storm holds.” She continued to trickle out information in short sentences. So far it had worked—she hadn’t received a glare—only a hum, a murmur and a nod. She also wanted to pat herself on the back because she hadn’t stuck her foot in her mouth or spilled those emotions right off of her sleeve into the air around them. “More flash floods could extend the time.” Andrea settled her hand holding the sprig of fir on the window ledge and twirled it between her fingers. She tucked the other one just in the corner of her mouth. She felt like she was channeling one of those old western movies her mom had loved so much. Nodding to her thoughts, Andrea continued in her mind,  _‘We are in Arizona and I suppose we are in rattlesnake, rancher and robber territory.’_  
  
When Andrea returned from her Technicolor daydream, she turned to her companion only to have those blue eyes fixed on her. Andrea fought the urge to squirm and knew it was going to be a long three days if Miranda kept looking at her like that.  
  
“A couple of days.” Miranda asked her in this far away voice that forced Andrea’s _Miranda-Meter_ into overtime as it tried to analyze the timbre of her voice as well as the cadence along with the actual literal words and the body language that accompanied it. It didn’t help that she seemed to slide imperceptibly closer to Andrea while at the same time her gaze returned to gazing out the window.  
  
Andrea focused on the tiny tree in her hand for a few moments while she willed her heart to steady itself. If Miranda was unhappy, then she’d make her opinion known—Andrea told herself not to worry on that account. Flipping the greenest piece of the Douglas Fir into her mouth, Andrea chewed it up as she watched the far horizons for hints of what was to come. Looking at her companion again, Andrea stopped mid-chew with her mouth and face all awkward. Miranda’s blue eyes had this dark crystal-clear look to them like the surface of an alpine lake. They seemed peaceful and then they transcended into amused sparkles like a summer lake filled with kids out to splash the waters. “What are you doing?” The silver haired woman asked her voice releasing some of that amusement into the air between them.  
  
Nearly choking on both her embarrassment and the pulp in her mouth, Andrea forced herself to calm, swallow, and breathe before attempting to respond. If Miranda had to do the Heimlich on her and then breathe life into her lips—Andrea knew that she would surely die. “Random nature tips were coming back to me while I went to check the road.” Holding out the other small piece of greenery, Andrea broke it in half. “You can eat the greenest part on the branches of the Douglas Fir.” Watching Miranda take the little green in her hand, Andrea smiled, “I used to think it was cool when I was a kid.” Shrugging she blushed and popped the other piece in her mouth. “Guess I thought I could survive in the wild or something like that.”  
  
Andrea thought she might just burst into flames her embarrassment was so high, but then Miranda Priestly, editor of Runway Magazine, Queen of Bryant Park Fashion Week in New York City, gamely put the offered nature in her mouth and began to chew as well.  
  
_‘She’s so beautiful.’_  They each inwardly swooned for different reasons. Miranda loved the down to earth adorableness of her younger companion as well as the honesty that wouldn’t allow her to truly treat Miranda as anything other than a real person. Andrea loved that Miranda—for all of her regal bearing, demanding work ethic, and authoritarian leadership style—would try anything, whether it was something her kids wanted, or something new (when she wasn’t put on the spot), or even eating a piece of a tree because her assistant told her it was okay.  
  
“That’s what I love about you, Miranda.” Really Andrea couldn’t help it that her voice cracked a little on the word love in that sentence. It was just too close to something else that she had better never say even in iambic pentameter or song. When Miranda only raised a lazy eyebrow at her, Andrea blushed again and answered the unspoken question, “Everyone has this image of you, like you’d never try things, or that you’d break, or something. I don’t know.” Smiling at the other woman because she just couldn’t help herself, Andrea motioned at her. “You’re not though, you’re just a cool person once you get past all that _rawr_.”  
  
Miranda knew she was in trouble when Andrea explained just how real she saw Miranda. When the other woman growled at her like it was normal behavior, Miranda knew it was too late to worry about trouble. She was going to do or say something in the next day or two and then there would be no going back—no pretending nothing was said or done or thought or shared. Smiling the silver haired woman wasn’t sure whether she hoped for more clear skies or another demonstration of nature’s power that would extend their private time in this strange little shelter.  
  
Andrea could not fathom how they were settling into this easy banter. She had always believed that there was a woman behind the persona, perhaps a similar woman to the persona, just different. Her heart knew it; however, seeing it and experiencing it up close and personal, well, her goose was well and truly cooked now. She could not imagine how she was going to hold back over the next couple of days, if not longer, without revealing just how well she saw Miranda and just how much she adored her. The tree twig sharing part of her brain hoped for another downpour or two at least, while the ‘I don’t want to lose what I have’ part of her brain hoped that this sun would hold and they’d be able to drive out soon.  
  
“Don’t you ever tell anyone else that, Andrea.” The amused glint in those blue eyes let Andrea know that while the command might be earnest, it was still said in jest.  
  
Chuckling, Andrea couldn’t hold back the impulse and she saluted Miranda. “Never.” She giggled again as she broke off the hand gesture of respect.  
  
Turning to face the room, Miranda rubbed her hands on her arms. “Were you able to talk to Nigel? Let him know?”  
  
Holding up her dead cell phone, Andrea smiled. “Just enough to let him know what was going on, where we were, and for him to say that he’d call the girls’ father and work on getting the road repaired for us.” Tucking the now useless technology back into her trouser pocket, Andrea shrugged, “Then it died.”  
  
Uncertain of what to do next, they each looked around the shelter they had found along this obscure road. “This reminds me of those backcountry trail shelters, you know for winter hiking or storms for those long treks like the Appalachian trail.” Stepping into the middle of the room, Andrea noted the wood pile next to the fireplace, the donated cans jumbled into the wooden crate that had not had a very good previous life and had been sent out here to while away the end of its days.  
  
“Will it weather the storm, if there’s another?” Miranda asked from her corner of the room.  
  
A light bulb sparking in Andrea’s head, she gave a sound of joy and then headed to the wall next to the door. Holding up a battered plank of wood, Andrea explained, “I bet these fit the windows for the colder weather like now.” Setting it down at her feet, Andrea waved to the various openings, “In the summer heat, you’d want as much open as possible.”  
  
Shuddering at the thought of what a wonderful home for black widows that old door must have made, Miranda had to concede the importance of being warm over giving into her reluctance where it came to dealing with webs. Encouraging the move towards blocking the cold, Miranda replied, “Let’s try one then.” She suggested as she pulled out her own wooden shutter, eyeing it warily for hazards that crawled as well as their sticky webs.  
  
As the sun settled low on the horizon and then dipped out of sight over the turbulent cumulonimbus clouds, Miranda and Andrea battened down the hatches of their shelter. Resting they looked at each other too tired to look away or pretend at busy-ness. “Well, that’ll warm you up.” Andrea joked until she realized how flirty her tone had been and what she’d have liked to have been insinuating.  
  
“I could think of other ways.” Miranda playfully suggested as she joined Andrea out on the high platform of flirtation hovering between them—alternately threatening to spill them both over or to lift them ever higher.  
  
Going over to the small pile of wood and mangled newspapers, Andrea began to assemble a log cabin in the fireplace. “Such as?” Andrea volleyed back.  
  
When Miranda did not respond, Andrea looked up to see her eyes trailing up and down her body. “Well, you’re doing the first one,” she smirked as Andrea’s jaw opened. “Check if the flue is open or we’ll be smoked out.” Chuckling as Andrea blushed and then busied herself by the fire, Miranda took courage from their banter. Perhaps it wouldn’t matter if she slipped and told the other woman how beautiful she found her?  
  
*** *** ***  
  
The setting of the sun dropped the temperature by another fifteen degrees though neither of the women could measure with anything other than the amount of goose bumps on their skin. Andrea kept the fire going, all the while calculating how much wood was in the pile and how she thought the weather could go. The sun had lingered for quite some time after the flash flood that had trapped them here, but the chill in the air and the tumult in the skies didn’t bode well for their warmth. In the morning as soon as there was enough light, she figured that she’d have to go hunting for wood and just hope that they didn’t need it.  
  
Yawning and conversation at a lull, they curled up on either side of the fire and lost themselves in thoughts until they turned to dreams. The moon rose in the sky above them while the fire burned low. Creatures of the night made their way out into the world to find it much changed from the one they had left to the sun. Across the scrub, they skittered and scattered over new valleys and streams in their landscape.  
  
Waking with a start, Miranda took in the dying glow of the fire, the ache in her body from the hard floor, and the gentle snoring of her companion. Her eyes wide in the dark, Miranda reached her arms out searching for purchase until she could push herself up. Miranda tried to calm her breathing. She rarely woke from a sound sleep and when she did there had always been a reason—a terrible phone call, a crying child, a sick husband, or even, in years gone by, nightmares. Wrapping the poor excuse for a throw blanket around her shoulders, Miranda shuddered as she tried to take in the possibilities. Then she heard it, an unmistakable howl that tapered off into almost pained barking, only to be taken up by another in the pack and then another. Her blood ran cold and she pushed herself over to her companion as fright over took her brain. “Andrea, Andrea.” Blindly she felt for the other woman and when she felt something too soft, she gasped and then reached again higher. Finding a shoulder this time, Miranda tried to remain calm even though the haunting sound seemed to be coming from every side of the cabin and getting closer by the yip, howl, and bark. “Andrea, Andrea, wake up!” Her voice rose as she shook the brunette’s shoulder.  
  
Her wrist was gripped hard and Miranda let out her own howl of fright.  
  
A low grumble responded to this as she was pulled awkwardly down toward the body of the woman she had turned to for life saving assistance. “Is coyotes.” How Andrea made that into three syllables instead of the proper four, Miranda wasn’t certain. “Howlin’.” The sleepy voice grumbled as the hand continued to pull her close to her body. “Can’t get you.” The voice soothed even in its gruffness as Miranda quickly adjusted to the direction she was being pulled. “Come on.” Miranda found herself facing the fire’s glow, her back warmed by the body pressed against her, and the fear of death coming for her long forgotten. When Andrea wrapped an arm around her waist and hummed against the back of her neck, Miranda was seized with an altogether different concern.  
  
Wide awake Miranda lay there listening to the coyotes, warmed by the safety of Andrea’s embrace, and wondering how long it would be until the sun came up and if she’d still be awake when it did. The coyotes moved on after some time leaving Miranda and her thoughts in Andrea’s arms. She wondered if she should move away but couldn’t force herself to break away from the younger woman. The feel of Andrea’s warm breath on the back of her neck finally soothed her into somnolence.  
  
At daybreak, Andrea jolted awake and then froze as she breathed in the cold air and the scent of the woman she longed for with every fiber of her being. Shivering Andrea tried to recall going to sleep the previous evening. She couldn’t say that she had any specific sort of recollection about making a decision to go to sleep or anything like that, but she would swear on quite a few things that Miranda had not been in her arms when she had fallen asleep. Breathing out a slow breath as she tried to force her heart to stay its silliness, Andrea realized that her lips were incredibly close to that long neck and her arm was tucked just under the soft rise and fall of Miranda’s breasts. Pulling her arm back, Andrea had to bite her lip against whimpering for her loss. Suddenly her wrist was gripped like a vice and her arm was dragged back across Miranda’s chest and then further up between her breasts where the other woman rolled slightly forward and hugged their hands together. This move dragged Andrea quite firmly against Miranda’s body as she grumbled something that sounded like, “Don’t go.”  
  
Nature and the potentiality of this situation going bad forced Andrea to murmur, “Miranda?” Wiggling her arm to retrieve her hand, the brunette tried again, “Miranda? I need my arm.” She hoped that was enough to have the other woman let her go and maybe even to let her remain asleep and unaware of the proximity of their bodies. Andrea knew she could not explain that one, though as she thought about it, she realized that she had gone to sleep where they were now lying, while it was Miranda whose position in the room had changed.  
  
Rolling with the hand as it was pulled back, Miranda opened her blue eyes into stormy brown eyes looking at her with panic among other things. “Thank you.” She murmured so quietly that Andrea could not help herself from leaning forward to hear better. “I was afraid last night and you protected me.” She continued in the soft voice she felt was suitable to such an admission.  
  
Squeezing Miranda’s hand that was still holding onto hers, Andrea asked, in a whisper, “Afraid?”  
  
Her eyes searching Andrea’s, the silver haired woman let her vulnerability continue to shine through. “You said it was coyotes.” She made sure to say it in the two-syllable way that Andrea had in her sleep.  
  
Nodding, Andrea shook their hands and smiled at the other woman. “You’re welcome.”  
  
Maybe it was the early morning, maybe it was the warmth between them, maybe it was just finally time—neither woman moved away and neither woman broke their eye contact. It just seemed so natural to be together, touching, talking quietly, saying nothing at all, and just looking each at the other.  
  
Eventually nature called again a little louder and Andrea shifted. “I’ve got to, um, go.” She said as she pulled away and then shifted to rise. “I’ll just, um, be right back.” She muttered as she waved the roll of toilet paper they had found amongst the dented food cans.  
  
Miranda rested on the ground not moving. She smiled at the ceiling as she thought about Andrea and the beautiful way that she blushed and the gruff sleepy way that she had scolded her even as she reached out to protect her. She argued with herself that there was nothing between them, that there was no way that the younger woman thought of her that way. She just couldn’t shake the feeling of how natural and wonderful and delightfully long that moment between them had been.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
That cared for feeling proved harder to shake than anything Miranda had ever tried to convince herself of. Throughout the morning and into the day, Miranda found herself looked after. They had shared a mostly warm can of green beans once Andrea had figured out the proper way to hack into the container with the can opening device from the dark ages. The younger woman set up a primitive facility to make nature’s call slightly easier than squatting and hoping for the best. She had also made Miranda sit at the side of a roaring fire while she went out in the chill air in order to acquire more wood for them.  
  
After her second trip outside, Andrea stood for many moments warming her hands at the fire and tucking them under her arms. It was so delightfully déclassé that Miranda found herself smiling off handedly at the incredibly real woman sharing this experience with her. Standing Miranda sighed and stood next to her and dared to reach out and rub her warmer hands against the chilled skin.  
  
Andrea’s brown eyes fixed her with such a mouthwatering look of thanks that Miranda felt a shiver totally unrelated to the cold run through her body. “What are you looking for?” Miranda asked as she felt Andrea’s hands warming between her own. At the gasp and questioning look from her companion, Miranda nodded at the slowly re-growing pile of wood. “What makes it a good piece to pick up and bring back?”  
  
Nodding and swallowing, Andrea fumbled her words at first and then looked at the wood pile as she carried on. “Well, it has to be on the ground already.” She waved at the pile, “I try not to pick up anything that’s covered in too much dirt, because then you have to clean it up.” Squeezing Miranda’s hands now that hers were warmer, Andrea stepped back and rubbed her tingling palms against her pant legs. “Dry if possible and not so big you can’t carry it or break it down.” Pointing to the porch doorway, Andrea indicated wood that she had brought back, but not brought inside. “Those ones are too big really, but I can break them down by propping them against a rock and hitting them with my boot heel.” Shrugging at the other woman, Andrea tried to joke a little, “Really glad I wore those even though it was a fashion photo shoot.”  
  
Miranda returned the smile and Andrea blushed. It was the second most charming thing the woman had ever done.  
  
Turning back toward the door, Andrea tried to escape the tight quarters. “I think I can get one more load before I’ll be hungry.” When Miranda proceeded to follow her out the door of the shelter, Andrea looked back at her. “Oh, are you hungry now?”  
  
Daring to rest her hand on Andrea’s shoulder, Miranda gently pushed to indicate that she should keep going. “I will gather wood as well, Andrea.”  
  
Not having anything she could possibly say to that, Andrea simply said, “I’ve had to go out a little farther with each trip.” Motioning out the way she was intending to go, Andrea cautioned, “Just be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.” When they reached a new distance, Andrea waved around them. “If we split up then we can cover more territory. You wanna go that way?” She motioned toward a bank of Chaparral and Manzanita that she thought would be a good place for the older woman to start.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
Miranda kept going over the criteria in her head as she sought to support Andrea’s efforts to provide for them and be a part of this experience together with her younger companion. Splitting up had made sense, but she found that she would have preferred to be closer to Andrea. The sticks were scratchy against the thin sleeves of her blouse, but the poor thing had long been ruined already so there was nothing to worry about now. Miranda heard a noise and looked around. Not being able to place it, she continued her search for the perfect stick. The low rustling sounded again and Miranda looked just above where her hand was reaching.  
  
Slowly sliding her hand back and drawing her body to her full height, Miranda felt her heart beat against the fragile cage of her body’s confines. Once she had a visual, the low sound suddenly was the clear warning of a rattlesnake, which was coiled just behind the wood she had been attempting to reach for.  
  
When the sound did not stop and Miranda’s brain exploded, she found her fight or flight response kicking into high gear. The wood went one direction, her right foot went another, and her whole body catapulted almost artfully over the rather large rock her right foot had not so cleverly found. She landed with an undignified shriek and a startled splash.  
  
Hearing the sounds, Andrea looked up and in the general direction of the other woman. When she could not see her figure anywhere, the brunette threw her pile of sticks to the ground before dashing across the territory that she had covered in her search. Reaching their original mid-point, Andrea stopped so that she could look and listen for further sounds. Her heart thumping loudly in her chest certainly did not help the horrific thoughts running rampant through her head as she frantically searched with her eyes.  
  
Starting to run as soon as she saw the other woman wobblingly rise amongst the brush, Andrea called out to her, “Miranda?”  
  
Shaking her silver hair, Miranda looked around her feet and then looked herself over. “I’m all right.” She raised her voice to call back. “Be careful, Andrea.” She returned the woman’s earlier caution with her own hard learned one.  
  
Drawing to a breathless stop, Andrea looked her boss over from head to toe. “You’re soaked.” She incredulously and obviously observed. “What happened?” Andrea reached out and touched Miranda’s face where it was smudged and a little red. She tried very hard to not look at the way the wet white shirt clung to her boss’ chest.  
  
Pointing a little way over, Miranda dryly recounted her tale of woe, “That rock impaired my ability to escape a rattlesnake.” Miranda pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to use her draconic powers to vaporize said mini boulder.  
  
“Ah.” Andrea said picking up on the humor Miranda was trying to save face with, before adding, “This here puddle saved your life then, by breaking your fall.”  
  
For many incredibly long moments they each tried to hold their straight faces, but even with biting the lip and flexing the hands into fists, they eventually burst out in a loud chorus of giggles. They didn’t cry from laughing so hard, but it was a close thing. Wordlessly they returned together to where Andrea had left her pile of sticks where they continued to add to the pile. Once Andrea had gone through her third round of shivers she felt like it was time to quit. She looked up to find Miranda sluggishly organizing the woodpile still in her wet clothes. “I’m freezing now and you’re still in those wet clothes.” Andrea picked up an armful of wood and held it out to the other woman. “Let’s head back and get you out of those clothes.” Blushing and returning her gaze to the pile of sticks, Andrea missed the answering blush on Miranda’s cheeks as she turned back toward their shelter.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
Wrapped in a blanket both women tried not to really think about the fact that Miranda’s shirt and bra were hanging from nails sticking out of the bricks surrounding the fireplace. If they did, then they would have to think about the fact that Miranda was half naked under that ratty blanket and her nipples were no doubt rock hard from the cold. Instead of thinking about that, Andrea turned to their assortment of dented cans, with and without labels, and tried to focus on the task of hacking the metal open with a device that was called a can opener but would have made a better paperweight.  
  
Serendipitously, blue eyes kept finding brown or perhaps those smoky brown eyes kept finding those sapphire blues. In any case both women had given up looking away from the other, whether it was a simple relaxing into their easy camaraderie or the early signs of hypothermia neither minded.  
  
Smiling as she swallowed a mouthful of garbanzo beans, Miranda hummed slightly as her eyes returned to Andrea’s.  
  
“Penny for them.” Andrea quietly asserted.  
  
Looking around the shelter and then back to the open can in her hand, Miranda hummed again. “Being stuck with you makes it…” She paused over the words knowing that her compliments were few and far between, but not wanting to diminish the experience either. “Well, I’m glad you’re here, Andrea.” She finished quietly before she focused on fishing out another chickpea to eat without slicing her hand on the jagged metal just so she wouldn’t have to face Andrea’s reaction.  
  
Miranda’s heart fell as she felt Andrea stand and shift. Then it rose into a fluttery ballet pirouette when the younger woman rested her hand on Miranda’s shoulder and whispered, “I’m glad you’re here too, Miranda.” Then she did turn away to busy herself with the woodpile organization. After a few moments, Miranda heard Andrea stand, brush off her palms on her pants, and mutter, “We need some kindling.”  
  
Hearing the door to their little shelter open, Miranda rushed to her feet to follow her with the ratty blanket billowing out around her. “Don’t leave me here.” Miranda muttered as her body shook from the cold draft.  
  
Andrea’s mouth dropped open as she watched the tatty fabric settle around the older woman’s torso and her brain short-circuited. Closing her mouth by sheer will power, Andrea also closed her eyes so she could process the words that had been spoken. Driven by her need to cover up temptation, Andrea pulled her shirt over her head and held it out to Miranda. This time it was the silver haired editor’s turn to close her mouth and eyes in order to concentrate. “Andrea.” She said with an unavoidable purr in her throat as she let her eyes take in the lacy La Perla clad breasts of her companion instead of the outstretched arm with shirt.  
  
Blushing profusely at herself, Andrea stepped closer to offer her top. “You can’t go out like that.” She mumbled as she hastily draped the shirt on Miranda’s shoulder before slipping out the door quickly.  
  
Stunned, Miranda thought to herself,  _‘You can’t go out like that either.’_  However, she knew it was too late for that as she heard Andrea propping a larger stick against the porch and a mighty crash as her boot cracked it into pieces.  _‘Oh, heavens.’_  Miranda murmured to herself as she let the blanket drop and pulled the shirt over her head. She was already in quite a state and it did not help to have Andrea’s scent wrapped around her. Knowing that she was just outside in lingerie and boots didn’t help her either. Never mind that Andrea still had pants on, Miranda’s brain was on a shorted-out loop focusing only on points that mattered to her.

  
x  
  
x  
  
Staying near to each other offered many chances for stolen glimpses as their pile of sticks grew. Thankfully they only encountered lizards this time. The heat of the sun’s rays had not reached its normal Arizona temperatures and Andrea was careful to keep an eye on the clouds as they shifted across the sky. She knew from the storm that rolled in at the end of the photo shoot that they needed to respect just how quickly and powerfully the weather could change on the Kaibab plateau. After dropping off some sticks at the shelter, Andrea urged Miranda to stay behind. “Hey, you should stay here.” When glassy blue eyes just looked at her, Andrea felt her heart flip flop. “The storm’s coming in, I could feel the chill in the air.” Andrea brushed her fingertips along her side to indicate where the breeze had caressed her.  
  
Looking once at the fire and then back at Andrea, the silver haired woman blinked slowly at the sight. “And you?” She asked knowing it was important, but having a hard time focusing on why.  
  
“I’m going out for one more load so that we won’t have to go back out for a while.” Smiling at Miranda, the younger woman brushed some nature off of her sleeve. “You get warm.”  
  
Her brow furrowing, Miranda stubbornly asserted, “If you go, I go.” She stepped around Andrea toward the open door of the shelter and shuffled out on unsteady legs.  
  
Glad for the company, yet worrying about Miranda, the brunette resolved to get as much as they could and then stoke up a roaring fire to ride out the coming storm. Halfway to the log pile, Andrea felt the first drops on her bare shoulders. Cursing their luck, Andrea put her hand at the small of Miranda’s back and urged her forward. By the time they reached the wood, the sprinkles had turned into a light rain. Handing wood to Miranda, the younger woman wasn’t sure if slightly damp wood was even worth the trouble. Andrea loaded up her own arms the best that she could and slowly rose using her knees for leverage. She stumbled once, but then encouraged Miranda. “We’ve gotta get inside! Let’s go.” She took a few steps toward the older woman and breathed a little easier when she saw the woman turn to lead them back.  
  
Stumbling into the shelter, they threw the wood against the near wall where the wooden window shutters had previously been stored. It was as good of a place as any since it was as wet as they were. Shivering, Andrea set about adding kindling and some larger sticks to the dying coals before she tucked tinder in to get it going once again. Shivering violently, Andrea blew on the fire and rubbed her hands together. After a few moments she realized that it was silent other than the fire and the heavier rain beginning to patter on the rooftop. Turning she saw Miranda staring in her direction; however, she didn’t seem focused nor was she shivering. Rushing over to the other woman, Andrea scooped up the blanket that Miranda had left on the ground before their wood gathering adventures had resumed. “Miranda? Miranda?” Andrea reached out touching the soaking wet sleeve of the blouse Miranda was wearing. “I think you’re going into shock or something.” She mumbled as she pulled Miranda back over to the now roaring fire.  
  
Stepping away from Miranda, the brunette began to rummage around in the pile of cans hoping for a soup or other drinkable option. She tried to focus on warming the can by the fire and that helping to warm them from the inside out. Her body’s shivered warning about her own condition, brought her back around to the idea she had been trying to avoid—they, both she and Miranda, needed to get out of these wet clothes. Miranda had stopped shivering and was unfocused, so she probably needed that more than Andrea did. Looking down, Andrea was proud to see a can of corn and a can of chicken noodle soup. Opening the cans and setting them on the fire’s edge, Andrea turned to her next task.  
  
“Take off your shirt.” Andrea held out Miranda’s dry shirt from earlier so that she’d get the idea.  
  
Her relief when Miranda nodded her understanding quickly transformed into panic as the older woman grasped the hemline of the shirt and tugged it up and over her head revealing her pale breasts. Andrea gripped the shirt in her extended hand like her life depended on it and waved it at the half nude woman. Her concentration was already slipping, she didn’t need to really think about her boss nude.  
  
Nodding to herself as Miranda slipped her arms into the other shirt and began to button it mechanically, Andrea tried to think of what needed to be done next. Remembering long ago summer days at the lakeside, Andrea realized that the ratty blanket hugged to her chest could serve as a towel to cover Miranda as she took off her pants. Andrea closed her eyes as she swallowed back the groan that accompanied her next thought,  _‘If Miranda’s panties are dry, then she can keep them.’_  Sighing Andrea stepped closer still to Miranda who looked up at her with the oddest expression on her face. Wrapping the blanket loosely around Miranda’s hips, Andrea told her to, “Take off your pants, Miranda.” Blue eyes locked onto their brown counterparts and Miranda blinked slowly a couple of times. It looked as though she might say something, but then she slipped her hands inside the blanket and undid the button and zipper of her trousers. When the silver haired woman paused, Andrea bit her bottom lip. Then Miranda toed off the low shoes she had been wearing and slipped off her trousers. “Okay. Okay.” Andrea said to herself, before asking the next question. “Did the rain soak your panties?” Miranda turned to look at her, but her expression was more of a blank, leaning toward amused surprise, rather than focused and offended.  
  
Miranda’s lips moved but no sound came out. She swallowed and then answered, “Dry.”  
  
Standing half naked and half wrapped around her almost naked boss in the chill shelter only increased Andrea’s shivering. She prompted the other woman to turn and walk with, “Now we’ve gotta get you as close to the fire as we can.” She made sure that Miranda did not trip as she stepped away from the clothes pile. Once she was sitting, Andrea offered her the soup can.  
  
“You’re wet and cold too.” Andrea turned to find herself trapped by Miranda looking at her as well as the implications of her words. Nodding as if it was the only thing she could do, Andrea tried to focus on the necessity of what they were doing instead of the growing tension between them and possible outcomes of being mostly naked together. “Come on.” Miranda held up the warm soup can in invitation.  
  
Grabbing Miranda’s bra, Andrea shook her head as she realized that they were just not the same cup size. Re-hanging it, Andrea picked up the second blanket and stepped behind Miranda. Her nipples were rock hard in their lacy cages, but she swore she felt them throb once they were revealed to the room’s air. Shaking off the thoughts that just kept flooding her brain, Andrea made quick work of her shoes and trousers. Thanking her obsession with wool socks, Andrea wiggled her toes as she wrapped the blanket like a towel around her body. Sighing and thinking that two pair of panties, a pair of socks, one blouse, and two ratty blankets were all that they had between them, Andrea quickly laid out the wet clothes to dry and sat next to Miranda with the can of corn.  
  
Feeling better, Miranda enjoyed the flickering flames of the fire, the warmth of the soup inside her, and the presence of the younger woman next to her. “Want some soup?” She offered her companion. Trading cans, Miranda tilted the corn until she could get a mouthful without it cascading over her face.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
Both cans empty and set aside, Miranda added more fuel to the fire. She noticed that her shivers had returned, which was unpleasant, but she supposed it was good. Next to her Andrea still shivered from time to time. Looking the younger woman over, Miranda realized that it was no wonder—the blanket was wrapped around her breasts and only covered down around her upper thighs. Her heart accelerating in her chest, Miranda realized that so much of her skin was still exposed. Checking the clothes hung by the fire, Miranda shook her head that not enough time had passed for that to be a viable solution. The rain had not abated and Miranda could not tell what time it was anymore.  
  
Knowing she was already warming up, Miranda assessed their situation. Half over her shoulders, Miranda’s blanket wrapped over her tucked in legs. Looking over the other woman once more, Miranda realized that they needed to combine resources if they wanted to get back to normal any time soon.  
  
Scooting back, Miranda opened her blanket and tucked her legs on either side of Andrea’s body. “Put your blanket over your legs, Andrea.” She kept just enough of her dragon intonation in her voice, that Andrea nodded and began moving. Miranda shivered as the cool air rushed between them. Then she moaned as her chest pressed against Andrea’s cold bare skin. Wrapping the blanket around them, Miranda scooted as close to her companion as she physically could. Andrea fussed with the blanket tucking it under Miranda’s legs.  
  
Miranda nearly moaned as Andrea’s cold hands pulled her hands inside their blanket and around her body.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
Andrea startled awake as her foot slipped forward and cold air rushed under the blanket. Blinking her eyes groggily, Andrea took stock of her surroundings. Most of her was warm and she snuggled into the weight of that warmth surrounding her from behind as she realized that the fire had gone low once more. Leaning forward in order to go for the wood pile, Andrea felt her torso held tightly. Pausing mid-motion, Andrea took stock of the reality she was in, instead of just enjoying that blissful dreamy sense of magical warmth around her.  
  
For all intents and purposes, Andrea was nearly naked and wrapped in the firm hold of Miranda’s arms. Looking down at their position in the dim glow of the embers, Andrea realized that her blanket provided the protection on the front while Miranda and her blanket provided the same from behind. The details were vague, but there in her mind as she breathed deep to cement the moment in her mind.  
  
Taking the blanket with her, Andrea rolled forward onto her knees and tried to wrap Miranda better in her own blanket. She smiled when Miranda grumbled in her sleep. Stoking the fire up as quickly as she could, Andrea crawled back to Miranda hoping that she could get warm once again while the woman was still asleep.  
  
Miranda hummed when she returned and then frowned as she felt Andrea’s chill. “Wah.” She groused even as she pulled Andrea closer against her. “Down.” She uttered as she pulled them sideways to rest on the floor.  
  
When Miranda’s body twitched against the cold of the floor, Andrea yanked at her blanket turning it so that it could cover their upper bodies, while she draped her blanket over their lower bodies. It took a few moments of jostling around, but then Andrea was able to tuck her body back into Miranda’s form.  
  
“Stop moving.” Miranda groused just as Andrea had settled her head the best she could with the blanket over it. That her words were punctuated by a possessive arm slipping under her breasts, only made it that much warmer for Andrea.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
The sun peeking over the horizon was just bathing the world when Andrea woke again. The fire had burned down low, and she could tell that the room was cold, but the cocoon she had created with Miranda remained warm and dreamy. Andrea rubbed her hand on Miranda’s arm savoring the moment. She couldn’t help noticing that her nipples stood at attention and seemed to throb in time with the gentle puff of Miranda’s breath on the back of her neck. Reaching up, Andrea pulled the blanket just enough for her to see the room in the gray light of dawn. Her mind began cataloging steps for once she moved. Like the night before she hoped that Miranda would continue sleeping while she tended the fire. It would be best if Andrea dressed before stoking up the fire, then she could gather two new cans of something. Nature was calling and she’d have to go outside to see how wet it was, but that should give Miranda time to wake and dress.  
  
No words would have to be spoken. Andrea took heart that while their actions may have bordered on intimate, they had not obviously been and between the silence and the physical danger they could shrug it off.  
  
Sighing, Andrea wished this was not the closest she’d ever get to the woman who had snared her time, her mind, and then her heart. It was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking.  
  
Rolling forward in an effort to slip out from under the blankets and rise, Andrea found her motion arrested by Miranda’s arm wrapping tightly around her. “Don’t go.” Miranda’s words were so quiet against Andrea’s ear that she couldn’t be sure she had heard them instead of imagining them. However, Miranda’s leg slipping between her own could not be just in her brain. Andrea froze her eyes wide and her heart hammering in her chest. “I might not have you so close again. So, stay.” This time the words were definitely audible.  
  
Holding still, Andrea tried to process the words and intent while Miranda hoped that she had chosen her words well.  
  
Breathing in her courage, Andrea leaned her head back toward Miranda’s lips. “If you want me to stay, I’ll stay.” With her words, Andrea threaded her fingers through Miranda’s over her stomach.  
  
“Andrea?” Never one for using more words than necessary, Miranda dared only use the other woman’s name as a question. She feared that if she went too far, the answers she would receive would hurt her.  
  
Moving their joined hands up to her breast, Andrea shivered as Miranda’s warm palm covered her tender nipple.  
  
Her body thrusting forward on its own, Miranda let her lips brush against the gentle curve of skin at the base of Andrea’s neck. Andrea’s fingers slipped from her own, only to press Miranda’s hand firmly against her breast, squeezing her fingers as they gripped the soft globe of flesh. As Miranda’s body thrust forward once again, her leg slid further up between Andrea’s legs and the younger woman reached back in order to pull at her hip. Realizing her free hand was under Andrea’s body, Miranda reached up to cup her other breast.  
  
As Andrea’s body surged into her hands, and a moan escaped her throat, Miranda began to fully kiss her neck.  
  
Slipping against the bad angle, Andrea’s hand fell between them pressing against the front of Miranda’s panties.  
  
Moaning, Miranda’s body surged up seeking firmer contact and her leg sliding against the heat between Andrea’s legs for the first time.  
  
Unable to keep pace, the ratty blankets slipped and allowed the room’s chilled air to press against the suddenly hot bodies. Even as her nipples throbbed all the way through her body sending a pleasant jolt to her sex, Andrea sighed and moved to catch Miranda’s hands with her own. “Ugh.” She moaned as Miranda’s leg pushed by the other woman’s hip slid against her sex again. “We have to, ugh, stop.” Andrea pressed her legs closed around Miranda’s to halt the delicious torture that was only beginning.  
  
“Andrea?” Once again using the woman’s name as a question to ask so much more, Miranda waited with baited breath for the answers.  
  
Turning, Andrea let the blankets fall with her to make a point. Kissing Miranda fully on the lips stayed her words until, panting, Andrea pulled away. “Once we start I don’t want to stop.” She pressed her lips against Miranda’s once more pausing to suck her lower lip into her mouth as she pulled away. “Not for fire, or food, or nature’s call.” She looked deeply into Miranda’s eyes, “So let’s get all of those things out of the way, so we can get back here.”  
  
Miranda stole another kiss as realization dawned on her. Nodding, the silver haired woman pushed Andrea away, “By all means, move at a glacial pace.” She would have continued with her signature phrase, but Andrea swallowed her words with a kiss.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
Fire, food, and nature’s call taken care of, the two women sat in front of the fire each wondering how to get back to that moment when the sun had just been coming up. Scooting closer to Miranda, the younger woman smiled at the look in those blue eyes. “We don’t have to do anything.” Rolling up onto her knees in front of the fire and stopping with her face inches from Miranda’s, the brunette smiled impishly.  
  
Thankful for the playful approach and the broken silence, Miranda tilted her head and purred, “But?”  
  
Dipping her head closer, but not making contact, Andrea pulled back and focused her eyes on Miranda’s lips. “We could kiss.” She tried for innocent suggestion but wasn’t sure she pulled it off.  
  
Leaning forward, Miranda closed the distance between their lips. As their mouths opened and their tongues swept against each other once again, her arms wrapped around Andrea’s neck. When Andrea reached forward to cup Miranda’s cheek in her palm, she rocked off balance. Sensing her lover’s forward motion, Miranda chose to take full advantage of the opportunity presented by pulling the other woman onto her as she lay back.  
  
Quickly Andrea reached for the ground over Miranda’s shoulder to prevent them from crashing harder into each other. Miranda let out a throaty giggle of pain as her head connected with the floor and she pulled Andrea down on top of her.  
  
For long moments they kissed and caressed, noticing the difference that clothes made and acknowledging the heat building between them regardless of the barriers. Legs tangling, they rolled as they explored the connection between them. “Oh, Miranda.” The brunette murmured as she felt the chill of fingers slipping under her shirt to press against the smooth expanse of her back.  
  
“Andrea.” Came the answering moan of name as the younger woman’s leg slid between her thighs until it reached the heat of her core. Curling her fingers against Andrea’s skin in a clawing motion that communicated the raw desire coursing through her body, Miranda began to pull the cotton fabric up and over her lover’s head.  
  
Bare breasts revealed once more were devoured by blue eyes that had yet to see the hardened rosy peaks crowning the large swells of Andrea’s breasts. Her throat suddenly dry, Miranda blinked once as her hand reached up to touch the skin she only made the barest acquaintance of earlier. Andrea surged against her palm and then was turning them to pull Miranda on top of her. Pushing up on one hand in order to not lose her prize, Miranda gave Andrea the room she needed to pull the top over her head as well.  
  
Biting her bottom lip between her teeth, Miranda watched as Andrea trailed her fingers down from her shoulder across her collarbone and then down until she could cup the fullness of her breast in her palm. Slipping away further, Andrea arched her back pressing the back of Miranda’s hand against her own nipple. Gasping, Miranda looked into Andrea’s mischievous brown eyes as she arched again. Miranda lowered her hand to Andrea’s rib cage as the woman beneath her undulated again scraping the tingling tip of her nipple against Miranda’s for the first time. Rising up so that both breasts could receive the same breath-taking attention, Miranda shifted her body, leg between Andrea’s so that they could rub their nipples together over and over again. “Andrea.” The older woman panted as she looked down into the gathering storm of desire in those beautiful brown eyes.  
  
For her part, Andrea’s hands dipped lower until they were resting just above Miranda’s hips. Her own hips rolling forward as their breasts continued to press against each other, Andrea felt the firm press of Miranda’s thigh against her sex. Shifting her leg, Andrea guided Miranda’s hips in time with their nipples causing the heat between them to skyrocket.  
  
Trembling above her lover, Miranda crooned her name once more. “Andrea.” This time elongating the sound as her sex rubbed against Andrea’s leg and those fingers pressed hard into her hips. Needing to taste Andrea’s mouth once more, Miranda lowered herself until she could claim those swollen lips for her own.  
  
Reaching up immediately, Andrea tangled one hand in the soft strands of Miranda’s silver hair as her other hand lowered to her ass. Their hips undulated against each other as their heads moved in the kiss. Rolling this way and that on the hard floor of the shelter neither noticed the sun’s warming march across the sky too lost in the storm of fire between them.  
  
Connected by lips, heavily breathing through their noses, fingers pinching and pulling nipples, their hips continued to build speed until they were panting against each other in a hopeless push for completion. “Andrea. Oooh.” Miranda tried to speak only to lose herself in a moan when her lover pinched especially hard on her nipple. “I need more.” She panted out as they writhed into each other.  
  
Moaning against her, Andrea paused against her lips reveling in the feel of Miranda’s warm fingertips teasing against her rib cage. Squeezing her hand on Miranda’s ass, Andrea renewed her fervent kisses as she trailed her hand up to Miranda’s waistline and then forward toward the button on Miranda’s trousers. Catching the change amidst the passion, Miranda lowered her hand from Andrea’s breast to her trousers.  
  
Fumbling on the button, Andrea hissed and broke their kiss to concentrate. Knowing Miranda was mirroring her motions made it harder for her to concentrate as she could imagine the feel of those long slender fingers touching her sex. Growling against Miranda’s jaw, Andrea lowered the zipper and tried a different angle on the button. Successful, Andrea felt the panel of Miranda’s panties, before she reached up to the waistband once more and slipped her fingers down through the coarse hairs until she was playing in the wet heat collected there.  
  
The zip down on Andrea’s pants as well, Miranda’s body jerked at the first swipe of Andrea’s fingertips against the desire coating her core. The button popping free and clattering on the floor caused them to giggle despite the passion rapidly building to a crest between them.  
  
Rolling their hips to the same rhythm of their fingers, Miranda and Andrea panted as their lips brushed and fell over and over. When the throbbing between them intensified, Andrea slipped one finger to tease Miranda’s opening. Her bottom lip bitten from that one, Andrea leaned down to where she could pepper kisses along Miranda’s jaw, her own hips thrusting in a plea for more. Answering the call of her love, two of Miranda’s fingers mimicked the tease against Andrea’s sex.  
  
Panting against Miranda, the brunette slipped away from her only to return with three fingers. “You’re so tight.” Andrea moaned as Miranda curled her fingers to mirror her motions. “Can you feel how you wrap around me?”  
  
Their bodies both trembling now, their breathing let out strange noises as they tried to hang onto whatever coherence they still had. Miranda fumbled and added another finger in the tight space of Andrea’s panties. “Ooooh.” Miranda moaned against Andrea’s neck as she sank up to her palm against her lover. “Am I as tight around you as you are around me?”  
  
“Yes.” Andrea hissed as her hips began to slowly ride Miranda’s fingers and the dance between them built again. Cheek to cheek they could feel the troubled breathing of the other. Fingers flexed into hair and against skin, they pulled each other as close as possible. Their hips and fingers pressed and thrust and built until they were spasming around the fingers buried deep within them and the accidental brushes against their clits finally worked their magic.  
  
“Miranda.” The brunette cried out as she lost herself to the sparkling lights of completion behind her eyes.  
  
Feeling Andrea’s body shudder, go rigid, and then press impossibly closer to her as she screamed her name, Miranda shouted out her own completion, “Andrea.” Her fingers pulling hard into Andrea’s hair and then her teeth clamping down hard against the younger woman’s shoulder.  
  
Panting they lay for many minutes, trembling aftershocks gripping them and not wanting to move away in the slightest. Closed eyed kissing began as they slowly returned to the presence of the other. Blue eyes stared into brown before Miranda whispered, “You’re so amazing, Andrea.”  
  
The low purr of her name from Miranda’s lips caused Andrea to clench. Thrusting with a slow roll of her hips, Andrea kissed her lover before responding. “Amazing is just the beginning, Miranda.” Her lower lip falling, Andrea flexed her internal muscles around Miranda’s fingers with another rush of desire. “We aren’t even undressed yet, Miranda.” Pushing the other woman’s shoulder to indicate her desire to be on top, Andrea pulled her fingers from her lover’s panties. Rising up over her, Andrea sucked each finger into her lips drinking in the taste of Miranda’s sex. “I want to see all of you.” Andrea encouraged Miranda’s hand out of her trousers, missing her immediately, but knowing she’d have her there again. Shifting lower, Andrea’s tongue slipped from her kiss bruised lips to trace a circle around a pert nipple. “You want me to see you, don’t you, Miranda?”  
  
Arching up into her lover’s teasing touch, Miranda moaned, “You know I do.”  
  
Curling her fingers in either side of Miranda’s panties and trousers, Andrea quickly pulled them down her legs. Quickly shifting to pull them all the way off, Andrea smiled as Miranda moaned and settled back completely naked and exposed to Andrea’s hungry eyes. Kissing up Miranda’s legs on either side, Andrea paid particular attention to the back of Miranda’s knees when she twitched and moaned. Without her meaning to, Miranda’s long fingers reached up to caress her breasts.  
  
Looking up Miranda’s body from where her teeth were teasing her inner thigh, Andrea growled at the sight of Miranda touching herself. Reaching out, Andrea’s long arm grabbed one of Miranda’s hands and pulled it down to her sex. “Show me.” Andrea encouraged the other woman as she reached up and covered the lonely breast with her fingers.  
  
Her blue eyes snapping open, Miranda looked at her lover incredulously. Finding nothing but desire in her brown eyes, Miranda experimentally flexed her fingers into her wetness.  
  
Pinching Miranda’s nipple, Andrea used her other hand to guide Miranda’s hand in her own sex.  
  
“I-I-I.” Miranda panted as they began to circle her clit and her nipples were throbbing from the dual treatment of fingers. “I’m so close.” She whispered with a pleading look to Andrea.  
  
Dropping her fingers to circle around the opening of Miranda’s sex, Andrea whispered back, “You want me there again, Miranda?” Her bucking hips were Miranda’s only answer, so Andrea blew on the coarse silver hair of Miranda’s sex. “You wanna come all over my fingers?” Andrea taunted her with just one finger teasing.  
  
“Yes, Andrea. Please. I need you.” Miranda’s words left off into short cries of desperation.  
  
Adjusting her position, Andrea thrust into Miranda as she lowered her mouth to Miranda’s fingers on her clit. Her body arching up into the contact, Miranda roared incoherent words as Andrea brought her lover to desire’s peak and her mouth moved with Miranda’s shuddering motions to draw out wave after wave of orgasmic bliss from her lover.  
  
When Miranda scooted inches away from Andrea and pressed her head away from her, Andrea sighed and closed her eyes enjoying her own headspace. Not wanting to move her fingers, Andrea wiggled them experimentally and humming as more liquid coated her palm.  
  
“No, Andrea.” Miranda’s voice was firm. Smiling, Andrea knew there would be more times to test her theory. “Come here.” Miranda pulled at her hair too tired to move from where she was but craving the closeness of the lithe beauty who had just shattered her into a million pieces and put her back together again. Kissing lazily, Miranda hoped to re-charge herself. Andrea had to be aching by now with the need to come. Miranda felt words form in the back of her mind at the tenderness she felt from realizing that Andrea had set aside her own needs to focus on her. “Um.” Miranda lazily traced her hand down Andrea’s back her desire building, but her energy ebbing. “Come all the way up, Andrea. I want to taste you.”  
  
Smiling at her, Andrea shuffled up onto her knees, her breasts swaying in the chill air of the room and mesmerizing Miranda’s ecstasy addled brain. Part of her couldn’t believe what she had just suggested while the other half that was doing all the talking licked its lips at the thought of tasting Andrea on her tongue. Slipping out of her trousers and panties, Andrea slowly crawled over Miranda’s body wanting to make sure that she had not misunderstood the other woman.  
  
Hands firmly on her hips, Andrea lowered her knees on either side of Miranda’s face. Looking down into the blissed-out blues eyes watching her, Andrea felt words form on her tongue that could never truly summarize how she felt. Before she could begin to choose those words, Miranda pulled her down as she leaned up pressing her tongue against Andrea’s clit. Crying out Andrea reached up toward the heavens wishing for a headboard or a wall to hang onto. Miranda hummed as she kissed, licked, and sucked the folds of Andrea’s sex, dipped into her core, and then circled and circled around her clit. Andrea’s body shook as she neared another orgasm. She pulled at her nipples in between pulling Miranda’s hair and moaning.  
  
Miranda tried to slip her fingers in so that she could penetrate Andrea. However, she found the positioning awkward and sighed against Andrea’s dripping folds as she gave up.  
  
Dully realizing that Miranda had been reaching for something, Andrea thought how wonderful it would be to feel Miranda’s fingers again as well as her mouth hot against her throbbing clit. Pinching her nipple once more, Andrea realized that Miranda had tried for that and given up.  
  
Raising up on her knees, Andrea smiled as she trailed her fingertip down the shocked woman’s nose. Without another word, Andrea turned around and lowered herself against Miranda’s body. Reaching up, Miranda’s eyes widened as she watched the skin stretch over the perfect globe of Andrea’s ass. Resting her hand on the cheek, Miranda looked at the new angle of Andrea’s sex. Her tongue slipped out to lick her lips as the desire to return to her feast shivered through her body. Licking a few experimental licks up the length of Andrea’s sex, Miranda trailed her fingers from Andrea’s ass to her core. Delighting in the taste on her tongue, Miranda slipped two fingers into Andrea and sighed as Andrea moaned.  
  
Focused as she was, Miranda at first did not realize that this new position put her sex on full display for Andrea rather like a mirror to her own mouth. At first the kisses were gentle, they just registered as part of Miranda’s over all bliss as Andrea rode her face. However, the two fingers copying hers as well as the determined sucking on her own clit broke through the ecstatic haze. Miranda thrust her hips into Andrea as she groaned her renewed pleasure against Andrea’s sex. Hoping she could hold out long enough for Andrea to reach her crest, Miranda marveled at how her body was already revving up for a third shattering orgasm. Once Andrea’s body began to convulse against her lips, Miranda held tightly to her as she allowed her body to crash over the precipice of completion with her lover.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
“There hasn’t been a single cloud today.” Andrea said as she returned from a quick trip outside. The sun was setting and from habit she threw a pile of collected logs onto the pile near the door. “They won't try to come for us in the dark though, maybe in the morning.”  
  
Rising to greet her lover, Miranda pulled her in for a kiss. “I’m reluctant to leave here, Andrea.” She admitted as she tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear.  
  
“Yeah. I know how you feel.” Andrea took the hand on her hair and held it to her chest. “There’s a big scary world out there that I don’t want to ruin this.”  
  
Miranda searched the other woman’s face for sincerity while inwardly she searched her own heart. “Do you want there to be an us, Andrea?” She nodded at the door to the shelter behind her lover to indicate that land of danger just beyond the door.  
  
“I want there to be an us, Miranda.” Reaching out, Andrea held her other hand as well. “Can the Queen of Fashion really be with an ugly duckling from Ohio?”  
  
Pulling Andrea with her over to the fire, Miranda sat on the bed of their blankets. “You do have a way with words, darling.” As Andrea settled down next to her Miranda turned so that they were facing each other, her legs over Andrea’s crossed ones. “No one asks Miranda questions. No one.” She smiled as Andrea’s jaw fell open upon hearing one of the ‘rules’ from Miranda’s own lips. “It will be a press circus for a while, but really there’s nothing they can do when I want you, Andrea.” Tracing her fingers down Andrea’s cheek and then across her lips, Miranda smiled sadly. “You know what ugly ducklings are, don’t you, Andrea?” Her blues eyes dared Andrea to rise on the wings of hope with her.  
  
A tear leaking down her cheek, Andrea shook her head.  
  
“Swans, Andrea. Ugly ducklings become swans. They overcome early difficulties with strength and perseverance, to go on and capture the best within all of us. You are a swan, Andrea, make no mistake about that.” Miranda leaned forward and nuzzled against Andrea’s cheek before kissing her sweetly. “If you want there to be an us, then there will be an us.” Smiling at Andrea, Miranda felt her hopes solidifying into dreams of the future with this beautiful woman by her side.  
  
Swallowing down her earlier sadness in the face of Miranda’s strength, Andrea whispered her question. “How do you know?”  
  
Looking toward the fire and sighing as she would before a story for her twins, Miranda began her answer. “Long ago and far away, like a fairy tale, I was born Miriam Princhek to the surprise of my mother and the disgust of my father. Growing up unwanted and with little to look forward to, I withdrew into myself and only pursued what I could have some effect on.” Smiling at Andrea, Miranda couldn’t help the tears that gathered in her eyes. Blinking some fell down her cheeks, but she carried on feeling the freedom that release could bring. “I emerged in the sparkling lights of Paris fashion, no duckling, but a swan that others soon swooned over. I became the Queen that you know now, but I too was once an ugly duckling from somewhere not unlike Ohio, Andrea.”  
  
Words once again swirled around in her brain and Andrea held them close to her heart knowing it was too soon to share them aloud. Their actions and this story shared the true meaning well enough already. Andrea traced Miranda’s cheek and then teased along her lips mimicking Miranda’s motion earlier. “Suddenly, I can’t wait to get out of here.” Andrea said with a smile, letting the intensity of the moment be stored away for later enjoyment.  
  
Pulling herself practically onto Andrea’s lap, Miranda purred against her lips. “Me too. I hear they have beds out there in the great beyond.”  
  
Chuckling in response to that, Andrea pulled Miranda with her as she settled back onto the floor. “Make love to me, Miranda.”  


  
**_—Fin._**  


 

  
x


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